Forgotten heroes
Para-athletes struggling to find cash for Games attire
When contingents from other nations walk tall in their national best at the Asian Para Games’ opening ceremony in Jakarta, our athletes will most likely be parading only in their tracksuits. Hailed as heroes at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, the para athletes are now struggling to find money for their attire. And their chef de mission is hoping sponsors will step up. It’s a race against time, though – the Games is only a month away.
PETALING JAYA: One year after being hailed as national heroes, the para-athletes who won gold medals for the country are now struggling to find money to pay for the official attire during the opening of the Asian Para Games in Jakarta.
With just a month to go before the Games, the athletes are hoping they would get their clothes before Oct 6.
A source told The Star that the government had no budget for the official attire – a baju melayu, long trousers, samping and a black shoe each – for the athletes to wear at the march past parade at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Indonesia.
“Instead, they have been told to wear their tracksuits.”
This is not the norm.
“At every international meet in the past, these athletes were given the official attire,” said the source.
“Even at the recently concluded Asian Games, which were attended by able-bodied athletes, they wore the baju melayu for the opening ceremony.”
The source said the national para-athletics team were never neglected nor left out as part of the national team in past years.
“They have been recognised for their achievements and treated equally. But this time around, it is different,” said the source.
The Malaysian contingent has a strength of 225. Of the number, 120 are athletes while the others are officials, doctors and helpers to assist the disabled competitors.
The source said the team was hoping that they could find a sponsor to provide the official attire.
The attire is estimated to cost around RM250 each – just RM57,000 to dress the team.
The source said the team had also been given four T-shirts each, which were to be worn on and off the track. They are to wear this during the podium ceremony to receive their medals during the 12-day event.
However, the source said the allocated T-shirts were insufficient for the number of days they would be at the Games.
“The limited number would force these athletes to wash their clothes as often as possible – but they may not have the time to do so.”
The source said they needed at least two more T-shirts.
“The team has approached several companies to get the extra T-shirts. But to date, none responded,”
The Malaysian Paralympics team’s chef de mission Lee Sheng Chow confirmed they were looking for sponsors.
At the 2014 Asian Para Games opening ceremony in Incheon, South Korea, the national para-athletics wore a baju melayu.
At those Games, the national team bagged 15 gold medals, 20 silvers and 27 bronzes. They finished 7th where 41 countries competed.
At the 9th Asean Para Games held in Kuala Lumpur last year, they bagged 258 medals, 90 of which were gold. The team emerged second based on the medal tally.
The Star contacted Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and his officials for comment. They have not responded at press time.